The Troubadour Hollywood, CA
Contact: jon@prospectpr.com
Web: thecardinalblack.com
Players: Tom Hollister, vocals; Gregg Hollister, keys; Chris Buck, guitar; Sam Williams, bass; Adam Roberts, drums
Sharing songs from 2023’s debut January Came Close and this year’s Midnight at the Valencia, alt-rock Cardinal Black lit up The Troubadour as they embarked on their first U.S. tour. Delivering a spellbinding performance, they held the room in the palm of their hands. Opening with a synth build-up as members assembled on the stage, they started strong with warm vocals and gorgeous bass lines from Sam Williams (“Ride Home”), before “Keep On Running” brought a heavier feel and highlighted Tom Hollister’s ability to entrance an audience, alongside suspenseful guitar notes that led to a vocal crowd refrain. R&B-tinged, Stapleton-esque “Holding My Breath” shared a comforting groove and perfect feel with fabulous steady bass underpinning from Williams, solid kit delivery from Adam Roberts, and a delicious, easy-feeling guitar solo from Chris Buck.
Ambiant Floyd-esque guitar sound unfolded syrupy ballad “Terra Firma,” magnifying the concept of ‘less is more’ with a phenomenal use of space and timing to add tension and enthralling lyrical delivery. Written for his daughter while on the road, “Adeline” included Hollister’s beautiful falsetto and harmonized vocals from keyboardist Gregg Hollister and guitarist Chris Buck. “Breathe” brought a hi-hat and keyboard intro beside Hollister’s vocals, with gentle backing vocals and a haunting guitar outro ‘leave’ from Buck. The reciprocal respect was palpable.
Darker ballad “Jump In” demonstrated incredible songwriting and an ability to take the listener on a journey. Beautiful harmonies from Buck, gentler rimshot work from Roberts, and frontman Hollister’s incredible vocal tone, timbre, and slightly-graveled honest edge, make sweet alchemy. Kickdrum and hi-hat play behind Tom and Gregg Hollister, adding Buck for a divine three-part harmony before a blast of full band sound on “Morning Light” brought a fantastic contrast of dynamics and style. Three-part harmonies continued with a kickdrum outro before Hollister enlisted the audience (AKA “the LA choir”) for a harmonized sing-along, which continued on “Your Spark (Blows Me to Pieces),” adding great falsetto harmonies and yummy guitar solo sound.
Fan favorite, “Tell Me How It Feels” (which hit No. 1 on iTunes overnight in 2021) built from a guitar/drum intro and bass before breaking down to lead vocals and kickdrum, while bluesy ballad “Warm Love” shared a screaming guitar solo and reengaged the audience with rounds of “yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.” This group reminded everyone in the room of what live music should feel like: a delectable, moody, perfect combination of patience and passion. Absolute magic!
The post Live Review of Cardinal Black first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.